1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a packaging container, and specifically to an easily erected rectangular box having collapsible continuous sidewalls and separate bottom and top molded covers that snap into the expanded sidewalls. The box is used for shipping empty collapsible tubes from the tube manufacturer to the product maker who fills and seals the tubes.
2. Description of Related Art
Empty collapsible tubes are produced by a tube manufacturer and then shipped to a product maker for filling with, for instance, pharmaceuticals, artists' colors, or toothpaste, and then sealed.
The empty tubes are fragile and easily deformed; hence, they are carefully packaged in boxes, either partitioned or unpartitioned, for shipment.
In a partitioned box, partitions extend at right angles to one another, in grid fashion, to form individual cubicles, slightly larger than the tube cross section area to receive a tube vertically in a box.
In an unpartitioned box, the tubes extend upright, one against another, to form in effect a plurality of columns that occupy the entire box. The tubes combine to reinforce one another to provide vertical resistance against a box top which may rest thereon. The tubes lie against one another throughout their length and, since they are relatively light in weight in an unfilled condition, dents in or crushing of the sidewall is prevented.
The boxes are purchased by the tube manufacturers from box makers. Such boxes are shipped in knocked-down condition so they occupy less costly shipping space. Nested preconstructed boxes cannot be used, since nested boxes require tapering. By the very nature of the tube arrangement in the box, vertical sidewalls are necessary. The boxes are erected by the tube manufacturer by making the necessary movements and connections in the boxes.
It is important that the tubes remain clean, particularly where they are to be filled with pharmaceuticals. Nevertheless, in some instances, particularly when the boxes are of a chipboard construction, fibers separate from the boxes and undesirably get into the boxes. Also, the boxes, particularly the chipboard boxes, often are quite flexible and not very rigid. This creates excess space problems as the box walls "waffle" or, in the alternative, the tubes themselves are damaged by crushing since the walls do not offer resistance.
Additionally, a great inventory of box sizes must be kept in that the various length tubes all require different height boxes. Also, numerous different lengths and widths must be kept in inventory.
The boxes are generally of opaque construction, so that once the box is closed, one can no longer inspect the contents.